Vic Mensa Criticizes President Obama for Not Doing More to Curb Chicago Violence

Chicago emcee Vic Mensa, who is fresh off the release of his Roc Nation debut, The Autobiography, recently sat down with OG interviewer Larry King to discuss, among other things, mental health in the Black community, self-medicating depression, and Justin Bieber's decision to cancel his tour because of exhaustion.

The most interesting juncture of the interview, however, came when King asked Mensa about President Trump and the job, or lack thereof, he's done since being elected to office. "[Trump] is not my candidate, nobody is really representing me or my people," said Mensa.

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In response, King asked Mensa if President Barack Obama, a fellow Chicagoan, was able to represent his people, to which Mensa issued the following response:

"I don't really believe so. I lived—I live—five, six blocks away from Barack Obama's home. So I watched my neighborhood not improve, and my city not improve, and my community not improve [and] maybe get worse in the time Obama was in office. And I recognize that he's the president of the United States but I don't think Obama's agenda was very often, you know, to represent the people and do well by the people. I feel like oftentimes he was very careful with what he said regarding race."

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Mensa's recent comments are not the first time he has publicly criticized President Obama. In 2014, following the violence in Ferguson, Missouri, as a result of the death of Michael Brown at the hands of a police officer, Mensa called out Obama in freestyle form, rapping, “While Ferguson was looting in the streets / Obama was on the treadmill moving in repeat."

Unlike many of his peers, though, Mensa understands actions speak louder than words. In addition to highlighting police brutality in the gut-wrenching video for "16 Shots," the 24-year-old has dedicated a substantial amount of time to local activism, becoming a voice for frustrated Black youth in Chicago.